Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016

Latest News

Central Library

The central children’s library will be closed from the 28th November to 10th December for the long awaited refit. A reduced children’s book offer will be available on the 1st floor and all our other 12 libraries will delighted to welcome families and children to their events during the work.

The lights are being replaced with energy efficient units, new ceiling tiles, bright paint, bright wall art, bright furniture – some recycled from BWH, new digital offers, more seating and of course more new books.

It reflects our bright vision for our libraries.

Croydon Talks Parks

As part of the ‘Ambitious for Parks’ Cabinet paper submitted in March 2016, a borough-wide multi-channel big conversation with residents, community groups and stakeholders was launched in September. Entitled ‘ Talks Parks’ this engagement is focused on discussions around five key themes: improved health and wellbeing, community stewardship, sustainable delivery models, environmental sustainability/ biodiversity and an exciting cultural offer. On the 31st October the online survey closed, having received over 1000 responses. Online responses will be supported by over 300 face-to-face interviews being carried out by the Community Engagement Team. Results are being collated and we should be in a position to share a summary in January 2017.

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016

Team Awards

The GLA has shortlisted a healthy walking project run by Croydon Council’s sport and physical activity team for a Team London award. The project was nominated in the sports and healthy living category, which recognised activity that encourages and supports healthier lifestyles in all sections of the community including projects which work to promote safer and more environmentally friendly modes of transport. Accredited by the national campaigning organisation, ‘Walking for Health’, Croydon’s healthy walking scheme aims to get people out into the fresh air to enjoy the borough’s abundant green, open spaces. As well as helping people to get fit, the project also helps encourage socialising and those taking part make many new friends. Since it was launched in 2000 hundreds of people have taken part in the walks. Croydon has 14 different walk routes for people of all abilities. This includes a strenuous ‘Nordic walking’ course for those who want to go a step beyond a standard health walk.The walks are run on a day-to-day basis by a team of 40 volunteers who mark the routes and lead sessions. Four of the volunteers attended the awards ceremony on 31 October.

Just Be/ Live Well

On the 8th November, ‘Just Be Croydon’ launched; an exciting digital behaviour change website that will provide information, interventions and advice on all lifestyle services Over sixty partners attended the launch in the Council Community Space and the website is now ‘live’ and available to all residents. Visit https://www.justbecroydon.org/ for more information. The platform (funded by public health) will be managed by District Centres and Regeneration. An online health check-up hosted within the website will be a single access point to MI Live Well, a holistic, integrated face-to-face lifestyle service, addressing smoking cessation, alcohol, weight management and physical activity (launching in April 2017).

Lloyd Park junior parkrun

Croydon’s popular timed parkrun event in has been extended to junior runners. Sunday 6th of November saw a team of enthusiastic volunteers managing

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016 the first weekly 2km junior parkrun, which attracted 64 runners. The runs are open to 4-14 year-olds of any ability – with parents welcome to join in too. Runs start at 9am and the meeting place is at the Pavilion near the Lloyd Park tram stop. There is also ample parking, toilets and, from the end of November, a new café. Chris Phelan, a parkrun activator, said: “The council should be so proud that it has this event in its borough as it will grow and grow now and help youngsters and their families to follow a more active lifestyle. It will contribute to their well-being and hopefully lead towards the culture-shift of looking after their health more and also reduce the pressures on the public purse by increasing activity and the positive spins from that. To top that the volunteer team that turned out to put on the practice event were just great. Loads of enthusiastic volunteers doing it because of the love for parkrun and all that it contributes to the local community. It is beautiful to think of what we've created and it is all because you gave us the permission to run around your park. Thank you guys. I'm proud of Croydon Council and its community spirit. “ To find out more about this event log in to http://www.parkrun.org.uk/lloyd-juniors/ or http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ Keep a look out in 2017 for parkrun being set up in Country Park.

Delivering our Ambitions

The Museum

Museum of Croydon's autumn / winter exhibition season kicks off with 'The Petherick family album' exhibition, featuring 26 drawings and paintings from the Croydon Art Collection, produced by one of Croydon's most creative and well-connected families.

The Petherick's were prominent members of Croydon's cultural scene during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with connections to the Croydon String Players and the Coleridge Taylor family.

The Croydon Art collection contains a number of works by members of the family and this exhibition is the first at the Museum of Croydon to display Horace, Rosa and Leila's works together along with illustrations from the family album.

'The Petherick family album' Exhibition Gallery, Tuesday 8 November 2016 - Saturday 15 April 2017

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016

Tuesday - Saturday, 10.30am - 5pm (except public holidays) Free entry

The Museum of Croydon will be submitting their application for Archives Service Accreditation, which is awarded by The National Archives to recognise archives which meet best practice standards for the sector, by 2 December 2016, with a decision expected by April 2017.

Library

“Reading for pleasure is more important to children’s successes than education or social class”. Reading Agency

Croydon Summer Reading Challenge Big Friendly Read 2016 - from July 16th to September 10th. This year’s theme was Roald Dahl.

Over 21,000 Croydon children participate and 65% completed the challenge of reading 6 books (60% in 2015). Broad Green managed 80% completers.

175 volunteers across the borough and millipedes, spiders, snakes and many more creatures were involved in illustrating fantastical tales of climate change and the fight to save the world. Well done all.

Working Together

Registrars Service

Citizenship Ceremonies: Consideration is being given into holding these ceremonies in the Braithwaite Hall. This will allow for larger ceremonies to be undertaken fortnightly, making it more of a significant event for those attending and minimising costs by improving efficiency. Trials of the new venue are to commence in January 2017.

Chip & Pin: With the upgrade to this system now complete and the introduction of new equipment as part of the Enabling our Workforce programme we are now able to implement our cashless payment policy.

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016

Retirement: The current Superintendent Registrar, Gaynor Ollive is retiring following 28 years’ service, her final working day being 25 November 2016, and we would like to thank her for her service and wish her well for the future.

A secondi, Joe Egan, has been appointed to cover Gaynor’s absence and to lead the team during a service restructure. . General

• Performance – The service is on target to meet 2016/17 objectives. • Express certificate service working well.

Bereavement Services

Events

During 2016 another successful programme of events has been delivered by the service and will culminate with a Christmas Memorial Service on Sunday 4th December– This is one of our most popular annual events usually attracting well over 100 attendees.

A new programme of events for 2017 is currently being finalised and will be distributed in January 2017.

Crematorium

The number of newly introduced ‘direct cremation service’ continues to grow.

This service is usually required by those who have a memorial service at another location or who do not reside in this country and just want the cremated remains repatriated. This service is keenly priced to reflect that fact there will be no service, no mourners, no minister, no music and no special requests. This offers families more choice and options with regards to tailoring funeral services to their specific needs and controlling funeral costs.

Digital Music System:

A digital music system was introduced to the crematorium chapels on 31 October 2016

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON Culture, Leisure and Sport Cabinet Member Bulletin Councillor Timothy Godfrey December 2016

This change brings us into line with many other crematoria, expanding our music library and reduce our reliance upon organists. The digital library contains a vast range of music that will cover the majority of tastes and requirements. If the music required is not in the existing library it can be added and stored for future use so the library continues to evolve. This option, after the initial upgrade of audio equipment and installation will produce an annual saving of approximately £15k per annum

General

• Performance – The service is on target to meet 2015/16 burial, cremation and finance targets.

AMBITIOUS FOR CROYDON